Beef Stew with Red Wine – In the Oven

A steaming bowl of beef stew with root vegetables and a rich flavor base made from well browned meat and aromatic red wine is classic comfort food.

spoon of beef stew over bowl of beef stew on big plate with side of bread
Warm up with a classic beef and veggie stew.

Other Comfort Foods We Love: Chicken Corn Chowder, Classic Beef Chili, Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

How Much Time Does it Take to Make Stew?

The longer it cooks – the more tender your beef will be. So, give it time. Don’t make it at 5 pm thinking supper will be served at 6 or 7 – a good stew takes time! AND it actually tastes better the day after you make it. So, if you want the tastiest stew EVER. Make it and let it simmer the day before. Then reheat and serve the next day – trust me!

Ideally, do the prep in the morning and let it simmer in the oven all day. Let it simmer for at least 3 hours. The cheaper, leaner and tougher your beef – the longer you should let it simmer.

Add frozen veggies like peas and beans just before serving to heat them through and keep them looking beautifully green.

pot of beef stew

I love using a large, heavy Dutch oven or cast iron pot with a tight fitting lid. You can sear/brown the meat and sauté the veggies then pop it in the oven.

How To Get Dark Brown Stew?

The dark brown colour comes from braising the meat well, using red wine and beef broth without cans of tomatoes or tomato sauce. There’s a little bit of tomato paste to give it some body – but adding more tomatoes, will turn this from stew from brown to red.

Use soy sauce instead of salt to add flavor and deepen the colour of your stew.

Of course, more important than the colour is flavour. Adjust for flavour and the colour won’t matter to anyone!

beef stew in bowl on plate with bread
A warm comforting bowl of beef stew.

How to Thicken Stew?

If you want to thicken your stew, here are some options. Most of these will lighten the colour of your stew.

  1. Flour or Cornstarch – Mix a small amount of cold water with flour or cornstarch in a separate bowl. Slowly stir into hot stew and bring to boil to activate the thickening power of starch. Once it’s thick and creamy, return to simmer. Try 1 Tbsp flour/cornstarch in 2 Tbsp cold water.
  2. Potatoes & Starchy Veggies – Remove some of the potatoes and liquid from the stew and puree them with an immersion blender until smooth and thick. Stir back into stew. For a more casual approach, squish some of the potatoes against the side of the pot so they soak up some more of the broth. Also consider using a blend of starchy potatoes (Russet) with waxy potatoes (white or red) – the starchy potatoes will break down on their own and make the stew thicker.
  3. Beurre Manié (kneaded butter) – Mix equal parts flour and butter into a thick paste. Whisk little bits into the simmering stew a little at a time allowing it to boil and thicken before adding more. Add as much as you need for the desired thickness.

Recipe for Beef Stew Oven Roasted

spoon of beef stew over bowl of beef stew on big plate with side of bread
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Beef Stew with Red Wine in a Dutch Oven

A deep rich flavorful beef stew with root vegetables and red wine cooked in the oven. Classic comfort food for the whole family.
Prep : 30 minutes
Cook : 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Getty Stewart

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs beef cut into 1 1/2″ pieces chuck or round roasts
  • 1-2 Tbsp cajun seasoning
  • 2-3 Tbsp flour
  • 2-4 Tbsp oil as needed
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 2 stalks celery sliced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3/4 cup red wine
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 6 cups beef broth divided
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs rosemary or oregano/thyme
  • 1 Tbsp paprika
  • 3 carrots diced
  • 3 potatoes diced
  • 2 parsnips diced(optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup frozen peas optional
  • 2 Tbsp parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Season beef cubes on all sides with Cajun seasoning or salt and pepper. Dredge pieces in flour, shaking off excess.
  • Heat a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp oil and heat for 1 minute.
  • Brown beef on all sides in hot pan. For best results, do this in two or three batches. Remove finished beef before adding more beef and oil as needed. Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning.
  • Remove all beef from pan. Reduce heat to medium. If needed, add more oil then sauté onions and celery until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add red wine to deglaze pan. Stir in tomato paste. Stir to get all those tasty caramelized brown bits from the pan. Add 4 cups broth, Worcestershire, soy sauce, bay leaves, rosemary (or oregano or thyme) and paprika.
  • Return beef and any juices that have collected to pan. Mix well. Cover and cook in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get beautiful tender meat.
  • Add potatoes, carrots and parsnips (if using) to stew. Add remaining 2 cups broth. Cover, return to oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  • Remove from oven, taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Add frozen peas or other frozen or leftover veggies and let rest for 10 minutes before garnishing and serving. (The stew will be so hot the frozen veggies will heat through in no time).

Video

Notes

By adding root vegetables half way through instead of the very start they’ll be tender without being mushy or overcooked. Meanwhile the meat, even the toughest cut, will become fork tender.
For dehydrating:  Use lean beef, and after browning, use paper towel to remove excess fat. Use water instead of oil to steam veggies. Use low fat stock. Put in fridge overnight and skim off any fat. Shred meat pieces and mix well with sauce and starchy veggies. Place individual serving sizes on a dehydrating tray and dry at 145°F/62°C for 5-7 hours until dry. Break open pieces to test dryness.
 
Tried this recipe?Mention @GetGettyS or tag #GetGettyS

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1011mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Iron: 5mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef, classic comfort food, comfort food, meat and potatoes, stew

 What to serve with Beef Stew?beef stew with buns

Soups and stews are perfect excuses to make delicious homemade biscuits, breads or buns. I made these soft 50/50 whole wheat buns to go with our pot of stew.

Homemade 50/50 Bread

No Knead Artisan Bread

Easy Cheesy Drop Biscuits

Spinach Cheese Biscuits

Rosemary Focaccia

Sourdough Bread for Beginners

Oven Baked Bannock

Chive Biscuits

Can you make this beef stew in a slow cooker?

Sure you can. I highly recommend that you brown your meat and deglaze the pan with the red wine before you add it to the crock pot. It’s an optional step but it will go a long way to adding to that deep rich color and flavor. Also, when making it in a slow cooker, add all the veggies to the bottom of the crock pot, underneath the meat. In the slow cooker, veggies actually take longer to cook than the meat, so they do better on the bottom where they get the most heat. Cook it 5-6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Ready to make your own pot of beef stew? If you do, please take a photo and share it with me by tagging @getgettys on Instagram. Or leave a comment and let me know how it went.

Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.

4 Comments

  1. The recipe calls for six cups beef broth, divided. Four cups are added with the Worcestershire sauce and spices, but the remaining two cups are not mentioned in the recipe. Are the two cups beef broth remaining to be added with the vegetables?

    1. Thanks for the heads up Trish, and sorry for any confusion. I have updated the recipe. You’re right, add the two cups of remaining broth with the veggies.

  2. 5 stars
    My son and I tried this recipe this past Sunday. I found a lovely Paula Dean cast iron Dutch oven with lid a a local antique store & I was eager to try the recipe as suggested. My son and I both were engaged with assembling the ingredients. This is the first time I’ve ever used parsnips and it lent a spicy flavor to the stew! My son and I agreed that this is definitely a recipe we want to use again! TY for sharing it! Jan R. Stephen, Pensacola, FL

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